Fielder&#39;s glove



April 24, 1962 J.. C. SPOHR FIELDERS GLOVE Filed Aug. 10, 1959 INV EN TOR.

MW MI Ohio Filed Aug. 10, 1959, Ser. No. 832,822 2 Claims. or. 2-19 This invention relates to baseball gloves and is particularly directed to a fielders glove of the type having a palm face and rear pieces joined together to form a thumb stall and a plurality of independent finger stalls. The novelty of the present glove construction resides in the provision of an extension piece formed integral with the palm piece and disposed between the thumb stall and four separate finger stalls. In recent years it has the ball receiving pocket of the main palm piece.

A conventional fielders glove of the type heretofore employed comprises a palm piece and backing pieces secured together and configurated to form a thumb stall and four separate finger stalls. In recent yearsr it has been increasingly common to provide an enlarged ball pocket in the palm of the glove by separating the thumb stall and forefinger stall. The open space between these two stalls is conventionally closed by means of separate strip of leather known as a web, the web being laced along its side and bottom edges to adjacent portions of the thumb and finger stalls.

Gloves having enlarged pockets to this type have appreciably aided fielders in catching balls. However, despite the improvement which they represent, the gloves are still subject to several serious defects. In the first place, no matter how tightly the web is initially laced to the remainder of the glove, the lacing stretches in use so that invariably after a short time the web of the glove is ofi-set and is disposed behind the adjacent portions of the palm and fingers. This off-set, together with the lacing between the web and palm, provides a roughened portion in the pocket area of the glove which frequently deflects spinning balls from the glove. The second defect of conventional fielders gloves is that the lacing interconnecting the web to the glove presents a constant hazard, frequently preventing a ball player from rapidly removing the ball as when making a double play. This difliculty is due to the fact that the lacing between the web and palm is inherently positioned so that it is likely to be caught by a players fingers when making a quickgrab at a ball in the glove pocket.

One important object of the present invention is to provide a glove having a single large, smooth, continuous pocket effective to minimize the possibility that a ball which has entered the pocket will drop from or spin out of the pocket.

An equally important object of the present invention is to provide a novel glove construction having a continuous palm extension which provides a smooth ball supporting surface continuous with the pocket in the palm and free from laces which might become entangled with a players hand as he attempts to withdraw a ball from the glove.

A preferred form of glove constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention comprises a plurality of separate finger stalls and a separate thumb stall spaced an appreciable distance from the adjacent finger stall. The thumb and finger stalls are defined in part by a single palm piece which also extends over the palm area of the glove. This palm piece is further provided with a palm extension portion which is integral with the palm piece and extends outwardly in the area between the thumb and forefinger of the glove. This palm extension is joined along its side edges to the thumb and forefinger stalls of the glove and is effective to form,

3,fi30,629 Patented Apr. 24, 1962 with these stalls and the main palm portion of the glove, a large continuous ball receiving pocket.

In the preferred embodiment, the outer end of the palm extension piece is aligned with the outer ends of the thumb stall and adjacent finger stall. However, the palm extension portion is longer than the thumb and adjacent finger permitting the palm extension to be bowed rear- Wardly to define a deep ball receiving cavity.

Among the advantages of the present glove is that it presents a smooth, continuous pocket face which provides no possible abutment or ofi-set to cause a ball to bounce out of the pocket or to disrupt the smooth motion of the players fingers as he grabs a ball from the pocket.

Another advantage of the present glove is that the palm extension provides a deeper, larger pocket than was previously feasible in a fielders glove. A still further advantage of the present glove construction is that the four finger stalls, the palm extension piece, and the thumb stall form an enlarged scoop from which a player may readily shovel a ball outwardly as when making a double play.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description of the drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a fielders glove constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIGURE 2. is a rear elevational View of a glove shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the glove shown in FIGURE 1.

As is shown in FIGURE 1, a preferred form of fiielders glove 10, embodying the present invention, comprises a thumb stall 11 and separate finger stalls 12, 13, 14, and 15, each of which is adapted for independent movement relative to the thumb stall.v The rear portion of the glove is configurated to form a wrist receiving opening 16; and a suitable strap 17 extends across this opening to support the glove on aplayers wrist, with his thumb in stall 11 and his fingers in the individual finger stalls 12-15. In accordance with the present invention a palm extension piece 18 extends outwardly in the area between the widely spaced thumb stall 11 and adjacent finger stall 12. This palm extension piece is formed by a continuation of the main palm piece 20.

More particularly, glove 10 comprises a casing including a palm piece 20 which is cut to define the front face of thumb stall 1 1 and separate finger stalls 12, 13, 14, and 15. A plurality of strips are stitched together to form the rear piece 21 of the glove. These strips are also stitched to the palm piece to define the separatefinger stalls 12,, 13, 14, and 15 and thumb stall 11. An inner lining 22 is inserted between the front and rear pieces of the glove and is held in place in a suitable manner, such as by means of Suitablestitching and a lacing 23 which is threaded through the lining and the front or palm piece of the glove along the bottom edge 24 of the glove.

The rear piece 21 of the glove is spaced from the lining and is shaped to form a large opening 16 into which a player may insert his hand in the glove, slipping his fingers into the respective stalls of the glove. A strap 17 which is secured at one end to the thumb portion of the glove extends across opening 16 and is secured to the little finger of the glove as by means of thongs 25. In the embodiment shown, the glove is further provided with a divider strap 26. This strap construction constitutes no part of the present invention and it is to be understood that any suitable form of wrist strap can be employed in the glove.

The outer ends of the finger stalls 12-15 are intercon- 3 nected -by means of a lacing 27. The function of this lacing is to hold the fingers in a generally cupped shape and to support the ends of the fingers against separation during the course of play. However, the fingers,

are adapted for limited movement relative to one another. Additional lacings 28'and 3t), placed in the little finger, interconnect the front and'rear walls of the little finger stall of the glove. extends across thelower portion of the palm of the glove between the front or palm piece and the lining member 22. This lacing 31 restrains the padding disposed between the palm piece and lining in the heel area of the glove and thus defines the lower edge of the enlarged ball receiving pocket 35. Lacings 28 and 3! are spaced apart from one another slightly and extend parallel to one another at the little finger corner of the glove. The padding is removed from the area between the adjacent portions of the lacings so that the glove is free to flex in this area, allowing the little finger portion 15 to be readily folded towards the thumb portion 11 of the glove. As will readily be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the portions of the glove thus far described are of generally conventional construction.

The novel feature ofthe present glove resides in the combination with these components of an outwardly extending palm extension 18. This extension piece is formed as an integral part of the main palm piece 20 of the glove. Palm extension piece 18 extends outwardlyv between the thumb and forefinger stalls in the general area occupied by the web of a conventional glove. This piece when extended is slightly longer than the maximum lengthof the thumb stall and finger stall 12, so that the palm extension piece 18 can be curved rearwardly in the area marked 37 in the drawings to define a deep ball receiving pocket.

Rear face 21 of the glove is provided with a. piece 38 which is stitched along edges 40 and 41 to the palm extension and is stitchedalong the outer edge as at 42 to the overfolded end 43 of the palm extension. In the embodiment shown, palm extension 18 and rear piece 38 are substantially as wide as the space between thumb stall 11 and, finger stall 12. of the palm extension. piece and rear piece 38 are attached to the thumb stall by means of lace 44 and are attachedto-the finger stall by means of lace 45. This preferred construction is particularly advantageous since it eliminates any loose lacing which might interfere with the movement of the players fingers in grasping a ball. However, it is contemplated that if desired the width of palm extension 18' and rear piece 38 can bereduced to provide spacing between edges of thepalmextension and the adjacent edges of the. thumb and finger stalls. In either construction, lining piece 22 is stitched to the rear piece 38' and palm extension piece 20 to closeoff the space between these pieces to prevent a player from inserting a finger-between. the pieces.

In' use, the present glove construction provides a single:deep. continuous pocket which extends all of the way from palm lacing.31' to'the outeredge 46 of pa1m=extension piece-'18. The surface of the palmextension Another lacing 31.

The side edges 40 and'41 and backing pieces together forming a glove body having an outwardly projecting thumb stall and four outwardly projecting finger stalls, said palm piece being configurated to define a ball receiving pocket and having an integral outwardly extending palm extension portion disposed intermediate the thumb stall and adjacent finger stall, said'palm extensionportion extending outwardly for the full length of said thumb stall and said adjacent finger stall and forming a smooth continuation of said ball receiving pocket, said palm extension portion comprising a continuous member presenting a smooth'uninterrupted ball contacting surface, said palm extension portion being of substantially. uniform width from its juncture with the palm portion to the outer end of said palm extension portion, inelastic lacing means for securing the lateral edges of said palm extension to said thumb stall and said adjacent finger stall, and a backing piece secured to the rear face of said palm extension portion, said palm extension portion and last named backing piece being substantially as wide as the spacing between the thumb stall and adjacent finger stall.

2. A baseball fielders glove comprising a palm piece and backing pieces together forming a glove body having an outwardly projecting thumb stall and four outwardly projecting finger stalls, said palm piecebeing configurated to define a ball receiving pocket and having an integral outwardly extending palm extension portion disposed intermediate the thumb stall and adjacent finger stall, said palm extension portion extending outwardly for the full length of said thumb stall and said adjacent finger stall and forming a smooth continuation of said ball receiving pocket, said palm extension portion comprising a continuous member presenting a smooth uninterrupted ball contacting surface, said palm extension portion being of substantially uniform width from its juncture with the palm portion to the outer end of said palm extension portion, inelastic lacing means for securing the lateral edges of said palm extension to said thumb stall and said adjacent finger stall, and a backing piece secured to the rear face of said palm extension portion, said palm extension portion and last named backing piece being substantially as wide as the spacing between the thumb stall and adjacent finger stall, and a liningdisposed between said palm piece and said backing piece, said lining being effective to close oil the space between said palm extension and said last. named backing piece.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,281,315 Latina Apr. 28, 1942 2,475,262 Sonnett July 5, 1949 2,725,561 Blepp- Dec. 6, 1955 2,995,756 Latina: Aug. -15,- 1961 

